Article-carrying case



Dec.23, 1958 E. BLooMQUlsT 2,865,527

ARTICLE-CARRYING CASE Filed Oct. 8, 1956 2,865,527 ARTICLE-casarme @Asn Egner L. Bloomquist, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application October 8, 1956, Serial No. 614,568

Claims. (Cl. 1220-19) This invention relates to cases for carrying articles such as milk cartons and the like.

Cases for holding milk cartons and the like are generally piled one upon another when the cases are used for transporting milk. Most such cases are provided with mechanisms cooperating with cases thereabove and therebelow to maintain the stacked cases in vertical alignment. In one form, such mechanism is in the form of a projection extending downwardly from the case bottom and inwardly of the upright wall thereof for extending downwardly into the open top of a case therebelow. This form of aligning device has deiinite disadvantages, one being that the aligning device and the case bottom may be bent and damaged because the lowermost case in a stack (and therefore the entire stack) is supported on such device; another being that such a device must be formed of extremely strong and therefore heavy material which adds excessive weight to the case; and a third being that stacks of cases are subject to tipping because the lowermost case is supported upon such an aligning device which is disposed inwardly of the case wall.

In another form, such aligning mechanism employs a plurality of projections extending upwardly from the upper case corners to cooperate with the apertured bottom of an overlying case for maintaining the cases in vertical alignment. A primary disadvantage of this form of aligning device is the necessity, when unpiling such stacked cases, of lifting the top case in the stack over the upright projection of the case next below. v

Another distinct disadvantage of substantially all types of wire cases is thatsuch cases, when carried on a linear chain-type conveyor, jump up upon the cases adjacent thereto. In so doing, the bottom frame wire or rod of one case moves upwardly upon the similar bottom frame wire or rod of an adjacent case. As a result the conveyor cannot carry and handle the cases properly, and the cases are difficult to remove from the conveyor.

With these comments in mind, it is to the elimination of these and other disadvantages in cases for carrying milk cartons and theV like to which my invention is di-v rected, along with the inclusion therein of other novel and desirable features.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and irnproved article-carrying case of simple and inexpensive construction and operation.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel 'and extremely rugged article-carrying case which may be readily and easily piled in stacks of cases which will maintain themselves in vertical alignment.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of an improved and light weight case which provides a stable footing for a plurality of similar cases piled and which is constructed in such a manner that the cases will maintain themselves in vertical alignment, but may be easily pulled sideways off the top of the stack.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a case having new and novel upper and lowerv frame construction to facilitate nesting of thecases in vertical align- Patent O 2,865,527 PtentedDec. 23, 1958 rice ltion made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the article-carrying case comprising the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section view taken on a horizontal plane substantially at 2 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail section view taken on a vertical plane as indicated substantially at 3 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail section view taken on a vertical plane as indicated substantially at 4-4 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detail section view taken on a vertical plane as indicated substantially at 5-5 in Fig. 2.

f One form of the present invention is shown in the drawings and is described herein. Receptacle means are provided and include an upright case side wall structure indicated in general by numeral 10 and a bottom structure indicated in general by numeral 11 and secured to the side Wall structure 10. The side wall structure 10 and the bottom structure 11 are formed of open wire-work.

The side wall structure 10 defines a substantially rec- -tangular enclosure with the upper and lower edges thereof in vertical alignment. The side wall structure 10 includes -a plurality of heavy and stiff wire or rod rings 12, 13, 14

tween the corners of the side wall structure are offset as at 16a'to define elongated openings immediately below the upright frame ring 12 to receive a workmans hand therethrough when the case is picked up by the top frame ring 12. The frame'rings 12 and 15 define the upper and lower edge portions of the upright side wall structure which are in vertical alignment with each other.

The upper and lower edge portions or frame rings of 'the side wall structure are provided with vertically disposed male and femaleintertting nesting means to facilitate stacking of the cases, one upon another, and maintaining the stacked cases in vertical alignment. In the form shown, the upper frame wire ring 12 is provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced upright male deformities or inserts 17 which are spaced from the corners of the wall structure and which are formed by producing crimps in the frame wire ring. In the form shown, two

upright inserts'17 are provided in each of the sides of the wall structure and the upright inserts 17 are inverted V- shaped to define upwardly inclinedtop-engaging surfaces.

In the form shown the nesting means in the lower edge of the side wall structure 10 or in the lowermost frame wire ring 15 comprise a plurality of peripherally spaced and downwardly opening female receiving portions or recesses 18 which are spaced from the corners and which are formed in the frame wire ring 15 by producing crimps therein.' Each of the recesses 18 in frame wire 15'is vdisposed in vertical alignment with a correspondingupright projection 17 in the uppermost frame ring 12 and is formed for cooperative interfitting with such an upright insert 17 of another case disposed therebelow in a stack. It will be no-ted that the recesses 18 in the bottom frame wire 15 are provided with inclined engagingl ring 15,1and which overlie ring 15. The opposite ends of the cross members 19 and 20 are affixed to the ring 15 by welding. A plurality of closely spaced bottom- .forming wires or thinrods'Zl overlie the cross members 19 and `-20rand extend lin directions transverse relative thereto. .The `bottoni-forming wires onrods 2.1 are welded to the'cross members 19 and 20, Aand the ,ends of certain of Itherods '2,1 are welded, as at 21a, to the crimped portions of-thebottomframering. s i,

Means are provided for positively retaining the upright maleiinserts of one casein the downwardly opening recesses 18 of another case disposed therebelow and thereby restrictingrelative horizontal, movement between adjacent cases in a stack. In the f orm shownsuch means include;a Asubstantially rectangular case-aligning ring 22 which is formed of rigid Arod material substantially identical to thefrarne .rings l2.a`nd 15. The case-aligning ring 22 issomewhat smallerrin length and breadth than the bottom frame ring land the ring l22 lies in the plane of ring `15 and inwardly thereof. Case-aligning ring 22 is ailixed by`welding to the lower side of the bottom crosstmembers 19 and 20. The case-aligning ring -22 hasta-plurality`- of abutment-forming portions as indicated `at 23, which extend across, in a longitudinal direction, the recesses18 in the bottom frame ring 15 'for engaging the upright inserts of the case therebelow ina stack ,and restricting relative transverse or horizontal movementsof adjacent cases in the stack.

lt should be particularly noted that the case construction is well adapted for ready and easy assembly in manufacture. The uprightwall structure may be constructed as a unit and the wire-work bottom-forming structure 11 may also be formed as a second unit. The bottom-forming structurell would include the bottom cross', members 19 and 20, the closely .spaced bottom- `forming wires 21 and the case-aligning ring 22 wouldbe attached to the under side yof cross members 19 and 20. The bottom-forming structure 11 would be merely inserted into theiupright wall structure 10 and subsequently the ends of the bottom cross members 19 and 20 will be welded to the bottom frame ring V15. The ends of the 'closely spaced bottom-forming wires 21 would then be `weldedto the crimps in the bottom frame ring 15.

In operation,- the cases comprising the present inven- 'tion may be used tocarry or store such commodities as milk cartons andthe like. When the milk is to be transported,4 a number of cases will be placed one upon anotherto form stacks. The lowermost case in the stack engages Vthe supporting surface around substantially the entire, periphery of the lower edge of the wall structure 10 or around the bottom frame ring 15. The casealigning ring 22 which extends across the several insertreceiving recesses 18 lies in the plane of the bottom frame ring .15 and ,will therefore engage the supporting surface andcooperate with the -bottom frame ring in directly supporting thezupright `wall structure 10i. j

. When another case is placed upon the lowermost case in the. stack, the upright inserts 17 project into-the recesses 18 and engage the lower frame ring 15 of the upper case; and the linear or planar intermediate portionsof the lower frame ring 15 of the upper case engage and are vsupported by the linear and substantially planar intermediate .portions of the upper frame ring 12 of the lowe'r case, substantially as seen in dotted lines in Figs. 3-5. lEach of the upright inserts 17 restricts movement of the upper case llongitudinally along .the corresponding section of frame ring 12 and the cumulative effect of all of the upright inserts 17 in the recesses 18 is to restrict movement of the upper case in all horizontal directions. The case-aligning ring 22 of the upper case also restricts horizontal movement of the upper case -by restricting movement of the individual recess portions18 transversely of the upright inserts 17, The, wall structures v10 of .Y the upper and lower `stacked, cases` will thereby be maintained Ain vertical alignment with ,each other and the entirerweight of the upper case or cases will be bourne by the upright wall structure of the lower case or cases.

It should be noted that the lowest case in the stack engages the supporting surface in direct vertical alignment with the upright wall structure and at the outermost peripheral portion of the wall structure to prevent any possible tipping of the cases when stacked.

When the cases are being unpiled from stacks, the workman only needs to lift the front side of the top case and then pull the case horizontally off the stack. As he lifts the front side of the case, the case-aligning ring 22 at this side of the case will be lifted over the upright inserts 17, and because the engaging surfaces of the inserts 17 and of the recesses 18 are obliquely disposed relative to the intermediate portions of the frame rings, the upper case may be urged horizontally and slid over the top of the lower case. It should be understood, of course, that because the front of the upper case has been lifted, the forward recesses of the transverse sides are lifted atleast partially olf the upright inserts of the lower case. As the upper c ase is slidhorizontally oi the lower case, the upper case may be tilted downwardly, whereupon the. intermediate linear portions of the lower frame ring 15 of the upper case and the case-aligning ring 15 thereof will slide smoothly along the planar corner portions ofthe upper Hframe ring 12 of the lower case. Obviously because the upper case may be smoothly slid off the lower case in this fashion, the amount of effort required .to perform this work is substantially less. When the cases are being handled in a processing plant, and are placed upon a .conventionally styled case-carrying couveyor the adjacent cases on the conveyor are very substantially restricted from jumping up upon eachother, that is, the frame wires of one case will not jump` up upon the corresponding frame wires of another case on the conveyor because the crimped portion of the upper and lower'frame wires forming inserts 17 and recesses 18 function as uprightvabutments, and adjacent cases are precluded from jumping up on each other by these abutments.

Y`It willrbe noted that I have provided a new and improved case for carrying milk cartons and the like, which case maybe piled withrother similar cases in a stack and be maintained in vertical alignment with cases thereabove and therebelow in the stack.

It should also be apparent that l have provided a new and improved and lightweight article-carrying case for stacking with other similar cases and which engages a supporting surface around the entire periphery of its upright wall structure for directly supporting the weight of cases piled therebelow and which are supported directly on ythe wall structure.

Ittwill, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without Vdeparting from .the scope of my invention which consists of the matter described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An article-carrying case for storage withother similar cases in a stack, comprising receptacle means including an upright and substantially enclosing side wall strueture having vertically aligned, upper and lower edge portions, said receptacle means also including a bottom spaced ,above 'the lower edge portion of the sidewall structure, :said upper edge portion having a plurality of upright and peripherally spaced male inserts thereon, and said lower edge portion lying generally in a horizontal plane for engaging, substantially around the entire periphery thereof, a-supporting surface, and said lower edge portion also having a plurality of downwardly opening andvperipherally spaced recesses cooperatively` interttable with coresponding male insertsl ofthe next ladjacent case therebelow. in the stack, and a substantially continuous case-aligning Vring Asecured to the receptacle 4bottoniV in the plane Vof said lower edge portion and disposed inwardly therefrom for engaging the upright inserts of the case therebelow and restricting relative horizontal movement between adjacent cases in the stack, whereby a case may be inclined and readily moved by sliding substantially horizontally olf the case therebelow.

2. An article carrying case for storage with other similar cases in a stack, receptacle means including an upright and substantially enclosing wire-work side wall structure, said side wall structure having a bottom frame ring extending around the periphery thereof and lying substantially in a horizontal plane to define the lower edge portion of the wall structure, said wall structure also having an upper edge portion in vertical alignment with said frame ring, said upper edge portion having a plurality of upright and peripherally spaced male inserts and said frame ring having a plurality of crimped portions peripherally spaced from each other and defining downwardly opening recesses formed for cooperative intertting with corresponding male inserts of the next adjacent case therebelow in the stack, a substantially rigid case-aligning ring affixed to the receptacle means and lying in the plane of said bottom frame ring and inwardly therefrom to extend across said recesses for abutting therein the upright inserts of the case therebelow and restrict relative horizontal movement between adjacent cases in the stack.

3. An article-carrying case for storage with other similar cases in a stack, said case comprising receptacle means including an upright and substantially enclosing wirework sidewall structure, said sidewall structure having a bottom frame ring extending around the periphery thereof and lying substantially in a horizontal plane to dene the lower edge portion of the wall structure, said wall structure also having an upper edge portion in vertical alignment with said frame ring, said upper edge portion having a plurality of upright and peripherally spaced male inserts, and said frame ring having a plurality of crimped portions peripherally spaced from each other and defining downwardly opening recesses formed for cooperative interfitting with corresponding male inserts of the next adjacent case therebelow in the stack, said receptacle means also including a plurality of bottom cross members in a plane and overlying and extending across the frame ring and atxed thereto, a substantially rigid case-aligning ring underlying said bottom cross members and affixed thereto, said ring lying in the plane of said bottom frame ring and inwardly therefrom to extend across said recesses and abutting therein the upright inserts of the case therebelow and restricting relative horizontal movement between adjacent cases in the stack.

4. The structure recited in claim 3 and including a plurality of closely spaced bottom-forming support wires extending transversely of said bottom cross members and being aixed thereto in overlying relation therewith, said wires having opposite end portions, and the end portions of certain of said wires being aixed to the crimped portions of the bottom frame ring.

5. A wire-work article-carrying case for storage with other similar cases in a stack, comprising a pair of vertically aligned upper and lower frame wire rings spaced from each other, bottom-forming means overlying and extending across said lower frame ring and secured thereto, upright wall-forming means interconnecting said upper and lower frame rings, said upper frame ring having a plurality of crimped portions spaced around the periphery thereof and defining upright male inserts, said lower frame ring being disposed in a plane for resting upon a hat supporting surface and having a plurality of crimped portions spaced around the periphery thereof and detining downwardly opening insert-receiving recesses cooperatively intertittable with corresponding inserts of the next adjacent case in a stack therebelow, a plurality of rigid rod abutments aixed to the case bottom and extending along the inner side of the lower frame ring substantially in the same plane therewith and across the recesses formed therein to engage the inner sides of the male inserts of the case therebelow in the stack and maintain the cases in vertical alignment.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,198,106 Chandonia Apr. 23, 1940 2,409,748 Folst Oct. 22, 1946 2,662,662 Moorhead Dec. 15, 1953 2,721,671 Averill Oct. 25, 1955 2,736,453 Russell Feb. 28, 1956 

